VanDyk Mortgage - December 2019

DECEMBER 2019

Letters From the Hart Give us a call! 239-437-4278 Or visit www.TimHartJr.com VANDYK MORTGAGE: 4TH QUARTER! Directed by Tim Hart Corporate NMLS #3035 www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org

So we found out that going into the fourth quarter of this year, we are No. 1 in Florida for VanDyk. Of course, we decided to celebrate by doing a football-themed video spoofing "The Office." Back in September, right before the start of the fourth quarter, we were crunching some numbers and realized that I was the No. 1 VanDyk loan officer in the state of Florida and No. 2 in the nation. This was awesome! Our whole team really worked their tails off this year, and it showed. I wanted to celebrate and keep that momentum up through the end of the year, and there was only one way to do it. If you follow us on Facebook, you’ve probably already seen our self-proclaimed masterpiece. Ashleigh, our marketing specialist, and I wrote the script together, trying to creating something funny without losing sight of our goal. I wanted to make sure this thing was done right, so I called the main office for VanDyk Mortgage and asked them if they would send out our video guy, Kyle. Ten minutes later, they called back to tell me that not only was Kyle all over the project but also they loved the idea so much that they were going to run a contest among all the VanDyk offices to see who could make the best football-themed video for the quarter. I know I’m probably biased, but I think ours is the best, and not just because I spent 15 minutes doing high knees because someone kept laughing and ruining the take — more on that later. Our video is the best because my team did such a great job. Karen, Donna, and Ashleigh were all-in with the plan. They really wanted to make something good. In between takes, they were hard at work studying their lines, and they performed so well on camera. Their commitment really makes the video work. I also need to thank my buddy, Coach Travis Smith, for taking part. He’s the head football coach at Mariner High School, and he came in to help bring us over the top. Honestly, I think Travis missed his calling. He’s a fantastic football coach, but he was so funny in the video. I swear, he should have been a comedian or

an improv actor. He’s great on camera. Sure, he kept laughing during the most physically demanding scene in the video, so we had to redo the take, but the final product is so good, I’ll give him a pass. Even Travis’ bloopers were funny, which is why we released a blooper reel a few days after we released the video. Within 10 days of releasing “4th Quarter!” on Facebook, we had 5,400 views and over 100 comments. It was really cool to see how people responded to it. I thought it was pretty funny, so it’s nice to know other people really enjoyed it. If you missed our comedy masterpiece, you can find it on our Facebook page at Facebook.com/TimHartJr or on our YouTube channel, Tim Hart. As proud as I am of the video, I’m even more proud of what we’ve accomplished this year. Being so highly ranked in Florida and the nation among VanDyk loan officers is no small feat. My goal is to hold that position until the end of the year. We’re almost through the fourth quarter, but I’m not going to get too comfortable. The game’s not over yet. “Within 10 days of releasing '4th Quarter!' on Facebook, we had 5,400 views and over 100 comments.”

P.S. We won the video contest!

NMLS #354676

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Yurt Sweet Yurt Glamping in Beautiful Locations

lodge, and even a sushi bar. About an hour up the coastline, you can find a few shops, restaurants, and art galleries if you decide you’ve gotten your dose of nature for the day.

C onsidering all the wrapping paper, decorations, and cards that fill our homes during the holiday season, it’s no surprise that the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s is not only the most cheerful but also the most wasteful time of year. According to Stanford University, Americans generate 25% more trash during the holidays than any other period — that’s the equivalent of one million extra tons per week, which is enough to convince anyone worried about the health of the planet to cut back on the tinsel and fake snow. Luckily for the eco-conscious, celebrating the season without adding too much to the landfill is totally possible. To start your own green Christmas traditions, try these tricks: The allure of the great outdoors calls to many, but pitching a tent and cooking over a fire isn’t for everyone. If that describes you, consider the yurt: a small, permanent structure often outfitted with electricity, plumbing, and other modern amenities. Expertly nestled in remote locations, they provide comforts of home in the midst of nature. Here are just a few around the United States available for rent. For those new to the glamping scene, this is a great choice for an easy transition. With picturesque views of the Pacific Ocean, the Treebones Resort in Big Sur has an array of spaciously comfortable yurts to choose from. The resort has heated pools, a cozy Treebones Resort, California I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas

Falls Brook Yurts, New York

Spruce Hole Yurt, Colorado

For the glampers who truly want to get away, hike just under 1 mile into the woods of the Adirondack Mountains to discover rustic yurts beckoning you to cook over a fire or bundle up with a book. At night, the yurt’s domed skylight offers excellent stargazing. For those keen on winter activities, skiing and snowshoeing trails start right outside the front door. In the summer, enjoy hiking, fishing, and swimming.

Nestled in the San Juan Mountains about 10 miles north of New Mexico, this yurt is a snow-lover’s paradise. Skiing, snowshoeing, and hiking trails are plentiful in this backcountry location. At the end of a chilly day, come home to comfy beds, cooking supplies, and decor made to feel like you’re camping — but with sturdy walls to keep out the cold.

4 Eco-Friendly Ways to Decorate for the Holidays

Opt for Edible Remember the cranberry and popcorn garlands of Christmases past? It’s time to bring them back! Pair handmade garlands with iced salt dough and gingerbread ornaments for a fully edible, compostable tree decorating scheme. A bowl of patterned pomanders (oranges studded with cloves) and pinecones makes for a beautiful centerpiece that smells festive, too. Go Wild With Plants If you like to decorate your stair rail or mantlepiece, try replacing the shiny plastic and fake-foliage garlands with real holly and pine boughs or bringing festive potted plants indoors. Small evergreen trees, holly bushes, and poinsettias are all attractive choices that can, with proper care, last the whole year.

Dare to DIY If you have the time, scrap paper can be cut into beautiful ornaments, and old Christmas cards can be punched into leaf shapes and used to create lovely wreaths. Don’t forget to save your wrapping paper and ribbon scraps for next year! Thrift Shop Till You Drop If you have your heart set on glitzy glass ornaments or an elaborate candle centerpiece, check nearby thrift stores before you head to Walmart. They’re often stocked to the brim with Christmas decor during the holidays, and you can probably get something you’ll love for pennies on the dollar! Plus, by recycling these previously used decorations, you’ll be keeping them out of the landfill.

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It can cost around $750 to replace a single dock piling, with bringing in construction equipment and cranes out into the water. Restoring a piling using the U.S. Navy method usually only costs around $250. As for protecting your dock, Jeff estimates it costs around $75 per piling to install that plastic wrap and prevent major shipworm damage in the first place. Restoring a dock also tends to save homeowners money in the long run than if they let it continue to crumble. As Jeff pointed out, “When your dock is built, it’s a positive asset to your property values. But quite quickly, if you don’t protect it, it’s going to be the opposite.” It was awesome to chat with Jeff about this bizarre topic. Waterfront property is one of the biggest investments out there, so call Jeff Hornsby if you have any questions or concerns about protecting your dock from shipworms. His number is 239-603-4350. Interested in hearing more from Jeff or about how shipworms once destroyed the Dutch economy? Visit TimHartJr. com/podcast.php and check out the full episodes. SUDOKU

“That piling will no longer go downhill,” Jeff told me. “It will stay in the same condition as it is today for the next 20–30 years. On top of that, we put this black polyethylene plastic wrap around the piling from the low tide water line to the high tide water line. Bang! With that, you got at least another 20–30 years out of a dock that wasn’t going to last another five years at the rate it was at before.” If your dock pilings are already crumbling, Jeff is able to help with that, too. If you have a piling that’s an hourglass shape and has a center that’s only an inch or two in diameter, it’s possible to realign that dock and use cement to reinvent the piling. This method was created by the U.S. Navy after the collapse of the San Francisco Bay, and it actually makes the dock stronger than the day the wood was put in! ‘How much is this gonna cost?’ When a homeowner or prospective buyer looks out at a deteriorating dock, their first thought is often “Jeez, how much will that cost to fix?” After talking to Jeff, it became clear that fixing the dock is actually much cheaper than replacing it.

but too expensive for everyone to adopt. Today, Jeff is able to protect dock pilings by suffocating the shipworms inside with marine shrinkwrap. By wrapping a piling with this shrinkwrap, Jeff is able to cut off the flow of oxygenated water to the shipworms. Within hours, the process that has been destroying the dock is stopped.

VanDyk Testimonial

Solution on Pg. 4

Trivia Question: What are the termites of the sea?

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Be the first to answer the question on Page 3 by emailing [email protected] and win a Visa gift card!

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Inside This Issue Tim Hart, NMLS #354676 8280 College Parkway Suite #101 Fort Myers, FL 33919 Is There an Emmy for Facebook Videos? PAGE 1

Give us a call! 239-437-4278 Or visit www.TimHartJr.com

Yurts: Glamping at Its Finest

4 Eco-Friendly Ways to Decorate for the Holidays PAGE 2

Testimonial PAGE 3

The Deadly Shipworm PAGE 4

Great Realtors Know How to Deal With Shipworms TERMITES OF THE SEA

Columbus trouble and were the reason he had to abandon two of his three ships. Shipworms survive by eating cellulose in wood, and they’ve managed to spread over every corner of the world. In 1920, shipworms devastated the city of San Francisco when an infestation destroyed every wharf and ferry dock in the area. That kind of damage would cost billions to repair today. This disaster forced the U.S. Navy to step in and come up with a solution to this “plague.” Fighting a Tiny Army There were attempts to combat shipworms made throughout history. Some people tried dipping their wood in pesticides to kill any shipworms who tried to eat it. In the 18th century, the British Navy put copper plating on their boats, which was effective

As Fort Myers legend Jeff Hornsby of Hornsby’s Dock Piling & Restoration told me on a recent episode of “The HartBeat for Realtors,” crumbling docks aren’t as inevitable as they seem. In fact, ancient civilizations knew exactly what caused wood to crumble so quickly, and it wasn’t the seawater. We’re facing a plague here in SW Florida, but don’t worry, Jeff knows how to take care of it. Something in the Water “I like to say shipworms have sunk more ships than pirates,” Jeff said when he told me about how entire ancient navies in Greece and Rome were decimated by a tiny marine organism. Though they’re called shipworms, they’re not worms at all but rather bivalve mollusks that burrow into wood immersed in seawater. These little beasts are also called “termites of the sea.” Shipworms even gave Christopher

Here in Southwest Florida, there are so many immaculate houses that have a huge eyesore in the backyard because a lot of people are under the impression that this is just what happens to docks over time. The seawater just makes the pilings smaller and smaller until the whole thing collapses. Or does it?

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